One Bitter Game
by battleshipxx101
Summary: Finding out the truth was just the beginning for Skye. They've all been played by Ward right from the start. Maybe it's time she did the same…Set after 1x19, "The Only Light in The Darkness." Spoilers ahead! Loosely based on the promo, but contains a few alterations. Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! As usual, here are *hugs* for you. I know all of you are still healing from the last episode, and yet the next one is coming tomorrow. Gah! I want it but I'm not ready for it. I don't think anyone is. :( Anyway, here's a short fic set after the ending scene of 1x19. It's loosely based on the promo 'cause I changed a few things. Hihi. I hope you guys like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

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Chapter 1:

_Skye's POV_

He played us.

He played me.

I wasn't gonna lie. It stung a lot to find out about it. I've never felt so broken until that moment. I couldn't remember the last time I felt my chest ripped open like that. It already had a hole from before–the hole that I tried so hard to fill with the idea of family when I was growing up. I never felt it become complete until I joined the team. And it kept becoming complete when I started to get closer and closer to the team.

And then there was Ward. I have to admit I felt something for him. I didn't know what it was back then, but I knew that he made me feel safe because he always had my back. He always gave me a reason to smile and laugh, especially since it involved me teasing the hell out of him. I was his complete opposite, and that's why it was so interesting. I learned things about him little by little, and I appreciated him opening up once in a while about himself.

I learned to trust him. I got used to waking up and seeing him first thing in the morning. I got used to the playful banter and occasional flirting we shared during training. I got used to having him forcing me to get some sleep when I refused to let go of my laptop or phone. I got used to having someone care about me, in that kind of _special _way–or at least that's what I thought.

It tore me apart when I learned that he was HYDRA. I mean, how could he? He was…

_What, Skye? He was what? _It occurred to me that maybe I didn't really know him. Some of it could be true, out of the number of lies he may have told me. And that hurt a lot. I thought I knew him–turns out it was all just pretend.

And what stung the most was that I actually fell for him slowly. What stung the most was thinking that we could actually work if none of this mess existed.

_"__Imagine the world outside doesn't exist…"_ His words played inside my head. _Lies._ _Everything was a lie. It was just a ploy to get the team to trust him. But…how much of it was real?_

That question kept popping up in my head every minute. Was everything just an act? Did he even care about the team at all, or was it entirely business?

I sure wanted to believe that the moments we shared together, as just Grant and Skye, were real. I wanted to believe that he had a bond with the team. But I couldn't. Not after this.

He killed Agent Koenig. Agent May disappeared without warning, and who knew if Ward had anything to do with that? And now, I was currently on The Bus, with him piloting the plane as we entered New York. He needed me to decrypt that hard drive. Either that or someone gets hurt again, even me. I could get tortured under the hands of HYDRA. Hell, I could die for real this time if they want it.

"Hey," his voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "You alright?"

I forced a smile as I turned to look at him. "Yeah, I'm good. Why?"

"You were a bit quiet there, for a moment."

"Just you know, enjoying the view." I said as I turned back to the skies. "I've never watched the city from above."

Ward smiled at me. It's amazing how a voice in my head shouts "_fake!_" whenever Ward did something. I guess it is what it is now.

"Remind me to take you to a skyscraper then." He winked.

I chuckled at him, and silence fell between us.

"I'm gonna get something to eat. I'm starving. You want anything?" I asked as I got up.

"Whatever you're having will do for me."

"Alright."

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As soon as I got out of the cockpit, I went to the room I once called my bunk. The door was busted but it will have to do. I needed some alone time to think this game through. I had no one with me right now. I was on my own in this, and I needed to figure out what my ploy was.

How do I escape from Ward? How? _Think, Skye. Think._

Okay, I couldn't jump from the cargo hold because as soon as I lower that ramp, it will trigger the alarm. I could try and open the cage but I could only open it using the controls in the cockpit. I didn't have a tablet to gain controls. _Dammit!_

I had only one option, and it was the hardest one to pull off. As soon as we land, I could convince him that I need to go to a computer shop to decrypt the hard drive. How do I ditch him, though? He'd be breathing down my neck the whole time. How do I get him to look away for just a minute so I can escape? Maybe I could cause a commotion of some sort.

An idea popped into my head. It's not the best one, but I hoped it would work.

* * *

The cargo hold lowered down as I stood beside Ward. I was thankful that he didn't seem suspicious when I told him that I needed to go to a computer shop. It wasn't entirely a lie. I could decrypt it with my laptop in the Bus, since it had internet, but this was part of the game.

"We have to hurry." He said. "We'll walk our way until we can find a car and use it."

"Okay. Let's go."

Before long, Ward was able to find a car in one of the alleys. Not many people were passing, and he was easily able to hotwire the car. Minutes later, we're driving in the streets, looking for a computer shop. I was sitting in the backseat, glad that he didn't say anything about it. We were, after all, in a hurry.

_Okay. Time to do Step 2._

I looked up at the rearview mirror and saw Ward distracted. He's currently searching for computer shops as we passed the streets. As discreetly as I could, I pulled my phone out from my pocket and opened it. I glanced up again. As long as I could work without him noticing, I was good. I just hoped my plan works.

I quickly turned back to my phone, typing as fast I can. It only took a few minutes until I got access to what I wanted. It was something Miles had taught me in my earlier days with the Rising Tide. I didn't want to use it, but I had no choice. It was my only option.

I typed and pressed a few more keys, going through commands and codes until I obtained what I needed.

_"__Gridlock Protocol"_ It said on my phone. Now, I just had to wait until we were in the computer shop itself so I could activate it.

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**A/N: I hope you're liking it so far. :) Sorry if it's not that long, but it looks like I'm gonna do three chapters for this. I'll update soon! xx**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Omg. AOS is so near already! Anyway, next chapter up! :) Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

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Chapter 2:

"Okay, I found one." He announced. I leaned forward and looked at the shop.

_Perfect!_ I thought. It was right in the corner of an intersection, meaning there was a stoplight right outside it. It was just what I needed.

Ward went out of the car and I immediately took the split-second opportunity to press the command in my phone. I set the protocol timer to six minutes. It was the only time I needed for my escape.

I went out the car and we entered the shop. There were a lot of people inside, but we found a vacant table. I plugged in the hard drive and pulled up the contents. Luckily, the decryption was like a puzzle. If I had to decrypt it, it was piece by piece, which prevents me from unlocking the whole content. I quickly pretended to pull up a window. I knew what the contents of this particular folder were and they were practically useless. But Ward didn't have to know that.

I could feel him looking around the place, and then turning back to me and my work.

"I think you've secured that thing a little too much." He said.

"Well, this, after all, contains all that we've been doing for the past few months. I had to keep it protected, especially from people like HYDRA."

I was impressed. He didn't flinch or wince. Then it occurred to me that he was after all a trained agent. He has been playing us since the start, which means he was that good. I couldn't expect him to give away his cover that easily.

One more minute.

I did a few more key swipes, opening windows, codes and commands and then pretending to make progress. Until the action came into play…

Car horns blared around us.

_Crash! _Two cars slammed against each other, followed by four more around the intersection. Then, just as I was hoping, one car was going too fast and the car crashes caused the driver to turn his wheel towards the side to avoid the crash. It was the wrong move for him, but the right one for me, since he sent his car right through the glass windows of the computer shop. The front of the car was now inside the place and people panicked. They started to storm out, and the exit was right behind us.

As soon as they started running, I took my chance and purposely dropped the hard drive to the floor, pretending that it got knocked over because of the crowd.

"Ward!" I exclaimed. "The hard drive!"

He quickly bent down and looked around. There were so many people passing us that it was hard for him to grab it, amidst the feet of the hurrying crowd.

That was the only window I needed.

I ran from the place as fast as I could. I spotted a bus passing by and I quickly got in it. I took a seat and looked at the window, keeping my hair half-covering my face. The street was still in disorder as drivers yelled at and accused each other for causing the accidents. I could still feel the adrenaline in me. I had to calm down. I had to pull myself together, even though all I wanted to do right now was curl up and cry. Never in my life have I pictured myself going through something like this. It scared the hell out of me–not knowing what to do, or who's watching, or whether I'll ever be safe again.

I wanted to get back to the team and feel safe again, but I couldn't. I was on my own, and I had my own mission. Clearly, HYDRA was after me because of that hard drive, and I knew they would do everything they could to find me and have me unlock it for them. I had to hide.

_But how?_ Ward knows me well enough to predict my moves. I was lucky to get him off of my trail today but for how long will that last? He's good at tracking people. HYDRA is good at tracking people.

Once I got off the bus, I walked fast. I entered a coffee shop and sat at the corner table.

_Okay. Think. _I couldn't stay here in Manhattan. I needed to get away from here. I could steal a car, and go somewhere just to hide long enough until I can contact the team. Okay. I had to keep moving.

I went out of the coffee shop. Upon stepping on the sidewalk, I froze. A police car was parked right across the street. I quickly turned away and walked in the opposite direction. I reached a few blocks before I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw the alert.

My jaw dropped. It was a picture of me, listed as FBI's most wanted. I swiped a key and saw that Ward was in it as well.

_Shit. This is not good._ My mind started to race with thoughts of what I should do. Staring at my phone after deleting the alert, a light bulb lit up in my head. A second later, I was practically running until I reached my destination. I waited outside the small hotel until minutes later, a guy parked his car right in front of the doors. He left the keys inside and proceeded to go inside the hotel. There were a couple of bellhop boys, who immediately proceeded to take his stuff from the car to the cart. As soon as they turned away, I took the opportunity and rode the vehicle. I stepped on the gas and raced out that place.

_Okay. Now I just need to get out of here._

I drove for less than an hour, but it was alright. As long as I kept moving, I had a good chance of hiding from Ward.

_Ward._ I wondered what was happening with him right now. I was sure he's trying to track me down, and it scared me a lot to think that the one person I thought I'd be safe with, is the one hunting me down to feed me to the wolves. It was wrong. It shouldn't be like this.

Tears kept forming in my eyes but I tried my best to stop myself from breaking down. There was no time for it. This was a game I needed to finish. I needed to come out on top when this is all over. I couldn't let Ward affect me any more than he already has.

A few more minutes passed by and I started to think maybe I could pull this off after all. I may have jinxed it because the next thing I knew, I was frozen in my seat as I waited for my fate.

He was at the end of the road, waiting for me.

_Deathlok._ My heart was beating out of my chest again and I knew I couldn't escape this time. He was faster than me and a lot stronger. If I resist, I would most likely die.

I watched in horror and shock as he jumped from the road and up to the sky. Then, a second later, he landed right on top of the car. My whole body was paralyzed in fear as his fist made contact with the windshield. I heard my own shriek as he grabbed my neck.

I couldn't breathe anymore. His hold was too tight. One second, I was still in the car being strangled to death, and the next, the door flew open as my body was slammed against it. I grunted in pain when I landed on the road. There was no use in running. Deathlok was already making his way to me and the panic I felt was unbelievable.

"Mike, please." I tried to move away, but he threw me over his shoulder and jumped as high as before. There was no use in struggling but I did so anyway.

"Where are you taking me!?" I yelled at him, but he acted as if he hadn't heard a peep. A single tear fell to my cheek. I was scared before, but knowing that I was free helped. But now, I wasn't free anymore, and it was a lot more terrifying.

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**A/N: I hope I didn't make any errors. I don't have Beta or whatever. I don't even know what it is so yeah. I'll be uploading the next chapter soon! xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Last chapter up! So, since obviously, this is not how the episode went, I guess this makes it an Alternate Scene or whatever. xD I tried my best to make this emotional and yeah I hope you guys like it! This one is a bit longer than the others so happy reading! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

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Chapter 3:

I found out soon enough where I was being taken. Now, I was back in the Bus, handcuffed to the staircase railing.

When I saw Deathlok bringing me up the cargo hold earlier, the small piece of hope inside me died. He dropped me to my feet, but kept his grip on my arm. As if on cue, the ramp lifted close and I felt the plane get in the air again.

I struggled in Deathlok's grip. "Let me go! It's not like I can escape anymore, can I?"

He looked at me coldly, but let go of my arm. I took two steps away from him and crossed my arms, bracing myself for who's about to appear up in the catwalk any second.

For a minute there, I let my eyes close, taking a deep breath in the process. Now that Ward knew, I was about to face the HYDRA Ward now. It won't ever be the same Grant Ward I knew. I reminded myself that whatever emotional attachments and bonds I formed–they were out of the window now. I had to remember that he was the enemy and he was part of the group that tried to kill me. They tortured Coulson and are capable of doing the worst things. Ward was part of that group. This was now business and nothing more. It was a betrayal to SHIELD and nothing else. The personal things were off the table. I planned to play this game without outside influences.

As soon as I opened my eyes, he was standing there on top of the stairs. If looks could kill, he'd be a dead man right now under my glare. He certainly looked different than earlier today. He was more smug and cocky. His expression was different, and yet there was still a hint of…hurt? Why could I see a faint amount of wounded in his expression? Was that real?

_No, Skye. _It was an automatic answer now every time I question his actions. In my head, a bitter laugh escapes. _It's amazing how much one person can affect another when it comes to hurting them._

Ward took his sweet time in descending the stairs. Once his feet planted firm on the floor, he gave Deathlok a slight nod and the latter disappeared into the lab. He turned to face me, wearing a smirk.

"I'm impressed." He said. "Causing a diversion, disappearing through the crowd, moving to another town and being mobile." His lips turned downwards as he nodded. "Pretty good for an agent like you."

I kept quiet and watched as he pulled handcuffs from his back pocket and walked towards me. He grabbed my right arm and led me to the stairs.

"Sit," He told me and I obeyed wordlessly. He grabbed my left wrist and pulled on it. I flinched away and for a minute, he looked worried.

_Fake._

He twisted my left arm around and pushed my sleeve back up. My arm was covered in dirt and it had a few long scratches. He looked at me, but I didn't return his gaze.

"What happened?" His voice did sound concerned that it made me want to vomit.

"As if you care," I mumbled before shaking out of his grasp. He sighed and just went to cuff my other arm. Once I was cuffed to the railing, he disappeared into the lab. I examined my own arm and sighed. A minute later, he appeared with medical supplies and was crouching in front of me.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"That wound needs to be cleaned." He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I scoffed. "Of course. You need me in pristine condition for Garrett's experiments, don't you? How is the bastard, anyway?"

He swallowed thickly before moving away from me. He ran a hand through his hair and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Alright. How did you find out?" He asked.

I gotta admit. His mixed expression was unreadable.

"Find out that you were the traitor after all, who is also working with the man who gave the order to kill me?"

He stared at me pointedly.

"Let's see." I decided to play it with sarcasm. "Um, we shared a kiss after you supposedly _opened up_ to me about your past. Nice strategy, by the way. I should use that some time if I would get a chance to live."

His jaw clenched, but I didn't know if it was because of my mocking voice.

"And then, you disappeared somewhere. I found the tracker tablet of Koenig and since I haven't seen him in a while, I figured I should find him. And I did."

His eyes fell to the ground.

"I gotta ask," I said with the same playful and teasing tone. "Did you also kill May?"

His head shot right up. "No. She really left."

I shrugged. Truth or not, I didn't really know what it was. I fell silent and just stared at him again.

"So, wanna give me a clue what's waiting for me at your HYDRA base? Maybe set of shiny needles and cutting knives to rip me open? Or another brand new machine to torture me? I'd actually prefer just a pistol with one bullet but I know you guys aren't that generous."

I could see his jaw visibly shaking and when he closed his eyes, I knew he was trying to calm himself down. _Was is the rage? _

"Skye," he said after a moment. "Garrett wants that hard drive opened. You don't need to get hurt. Just decrypt that thing."

I scoffed again. "Oh please. I know you're gonna do much more than that."

"You can avoid it." He told me. "You could give that hard drive, and then go into hiding."

"Just like that? Basically, what you're asking me is to give you all the secrets to HYDRA, leave my family, abandon SHIELD, and just live on my own while I watch the world get wiped out under the hands of HYDRA? No, because unlike you, Ward, I actually _truly care_ about SHIELD and about my team. I actually _really_ see them as my family. Unlike you. You didn't care about us. You cared about your mission, even when it involved people getting hurt and killed. Well good job, Ward. You're still reigning champion of the cowards. You follow Garrett like a dog, even when you can see that what he's doing is cruel. Mike Peterson? Remember him? Remember Ace? The little boy who just lost his dad because of HYDRA? What happens to him, Ward? How many more lives are you gonna ruin and possibly end? After you end FitzSimmons' and then Coulson's and then me, after you've made me a lab rat?"

He was shaking his head. "I'm telling you. You don't need to get hurt, Skye. Just give me the hard drive."

"That's total crap, Ward. You know me well enough and you know I'm not gonna give up that easily."

For a couple of minutes, neither of us spoke. I stared blankly ahead, thinking of the team. What if HYDRA got to them already? What if they're dead now?

A sob threatened to escape from my throat but I swallowed it back. I couldn't appear weak in front of him.

"Skye, if you don't unlock that drive, Garrett's going to do everything in his power to make you do it." His voice sounded grave this time.

"I'd rather die than betray the team." I told him.

"You don't understand," he said. "You still have a way out, Skye."

"I don't want that way out, Ward. I would never want it."

His face fell and it confused me so much. Why was he acting like this?

"Why do you even care if I get out of this alive or not? Aren't you one of the people who want to dissect me?"

His eyes widened in horror. "Skye, I don't ever want that to happen to you."

"Bullshit."

"No, listen!" He took a couple of strides before standing in front of me again. "I didn't know Garrett was going to shoot you, Skye. What I felt…" He swallowed hard before continuing. "When I saw you close to dying, it unlocked something in me that I never knew I would feel again, Skye. It was real. I felt so helpless and desperate to save you. Like I said, it was bad for me. I wasn't supposed to grow attached to anyone in the team. You guys were supposed to do that, not me. But after your shooting, for a moment there, I forgot my mission, Skye. I didn't even realize that I was worrying too much for someone that shouldn't matter to me. And yet I did. How I felt that time was real. Maybe the other things look like lies now, and maybe this one even does too, but I'm telling you. I did learn to care about you. And it scared me, to be honest, how one person, just one, seemed like the right one that I needed."

"Needed to what?" I asked.

"To show me that I wasn't completely a monster yet."

My lips parted open at his words.

"Garrett molded me into the cold and cruel person I am now. He dictated my life starting from when he pulled me from a hell. He made me this, and I thought I really was that guy. Inside and out, I thought I was that person. Until you came, and then I started to feel again. I learned to control my emotions, but with you…it was different. It's like all the training I had of building walls slowly disappeared with you. In time, I couldn't control how I felt anymore. You have opened me up without even knowing it. And I let you because…"

"Because what?"

"I wanted it." He admitted. "I liked the idea of the two of us, in whatever situation. I enjoyed your company and it affected me a lot, but I knew deep inside, I wanted it. I wanted the idea of living a normal life with you and the team, without HYDRA keeping me on a leash."

I shut my eyes closed. This was too much to absorb and why was I even doing that? The voice in my head should be shouting now but it's not.

Ward backed away from me and stood a few feet from the stairs.

"I know you won't give up that hard drive, Skye. And I know I can't force you to, but I do still care about you. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I can't do what you're asking me, Ward. I can't." Tears started to form in my eyes again.

He let out a heavy sigh. "I guess I can't do anything about it."

"Just one question."

He turned around and looked at me expectantly.

"If what you told me is true, and that I somehow brought out the _real and human_ Grant Ward from inside that dark killer," I took a deep breath. "What are you now then?"

He swallowed thickly and took a moment before answering. "I tried to revert back to that dark killer. I really did, but he was gone."

My eyebrows met in confusion. _Gone? Not even just damaged?_

"Believe it or not, Skye, the real one is the one I am now, and the dark one became the cover and mask. You did that to me. You made me change slowly until the light replaced the darkness. What I am with Garrett, that's the cover. What I am with you, that's the real one."

He gave me a sad smile before stepping in front of me again and crouching. He wordlessly grabbed my injured arm and I held it out for him. Neither of us spoke, apart from the hissing sound I made and the apology he said as he cleaned my arm.

When he was done, his eyes found mine, and I saw that the cold and smug expression was long gone. It had been replaced by a worried and scared look.

"I'm sorry," He said in a quiet voice.

Tears continued to cascade down my cheeks.

"And to prove to you that I meant what I said about protecting you," he began. "I contacted Coulson and told him where they can find you."

I gasped in shock. "What?"

"I had to try but you won't change your mind about that hard drive, so you better hide with the team when they get you."

"What about you?"

"Garrett won't be happy, that's for sure."

"What will happen to you?" I knew the worried tone and expression gave away everything but I didn't care for now.

"He won't kill me. He still needs me to do the dirty work for him." He moved to stand up, but I grabbed his wrist.

"Grant," His name slipped from my mouth so effortlessly. "He's gonna hurt you, isn't he?"

He kept his head down and shrugged. "Maybe."

"You can't–You have to escape him too."

He smiled sadly at me. "Where else am I gonna go, Skye? SHIELD will kill me on the spot when they see me. The least I can do is get Garrett off of your trail until you can be safe somewhere with the team."

My chest was too tight for my liking. It wasn't supposed to go this way. "But–"

"But nothing," He cut me off. "I don't care what happens to me, Skye. I want _you_ safe. That's the only thing that matters."

I wanted to vomit. This was not how I expected the situation to turn out. I didn't even know if I was glad that I had a chance to escape. I couldn't leave him in the hands of Garrett.

"You have no choice, Skye. It's your only option." He told me.

"And what about you? When SHIELD manages to defeat HYDRA and end this mess, and assuming you're still alive by then, what are you going to do? I know SHIELD won't forgive you for what you've done so, what are you gonna do?"

He thought for a moment. "Assuming I'm still alive and intact, maybe I could go into hiding. It's easy for me, since I can change my identity anytime."

I nodded absentmindedly. No matter how this would play out, I wouldn't get a chance to see him again. Eventually, Coulson would find me and we would go our separate ways. I would get back to SHIELD and help take down HYDRA. Ward would go back to Garrett, but I knew he was a changed man now. He wasn't the same killer anymore. That was the only thing I could hold on to for now. As soon as he goes back there, his fate would be unpredictable.

But maybe after all this mess, maybe we could see each other again. Just maybe. It was just a desperate piece of hope that I was clinging to. And right now, it was unknown whether it could happen or not.

We're in the middle of a game. A bitter and ruthless game. Who would come out on top?

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**A/N: The End! Thanks for reading! My notes seem so happy but tbh, I'm still not okay..I've been crying in front of my laptop since yesterday. :( Good thing I had ice cream in the fridge. R and R, as always. 3 xx **


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